title: Troponin-T: improved diagnostic assessment of myocardial damage in childhood.
abstract: Troponin-T (cTnT) as a marker of myocardial damage is well established in adults, but not yet in children. cTnT was measured in 85 children (aged 1 day-204 months, mean 46 months). Twenty-five children were non-surgical patients, with possible myocardial damage suspected on clinical grounds. The other 60 patients had cardiac surgery leading to a defined myocardial damage. In these children, troponin-T (cTnT), creatine kinase activity (CK), creatine kinase-MB activity (CK-MB), and creatine kinase-MB-Mass (CK-MB-Mass) were measured preoperatively and 3-4 times during the first 55 postoperative h. Except in four children with probable preoperative myocardial damage, all troponin-T values were in the normal range (< 0.1 microg/l). All children with intracardiac surgery showed a postoperative increase in troponin-T. Children with extracardiac surgery of the great vessels showed no postoperative increase of troponin-T. For the assessment of myocardial damage, troponin-T was more specific and more sensitive than the other markers tested, troponin-T might significantly improve the diagnostic assessment of myocardial damage in children.
authors.affiliation: Division of Paediatric Cardiology, University Hospital, Berne, Switzerland.
authors.forename: F F
authors.initials: FF
authors.lastname: Immer
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Stocker
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Seiler
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Pfammatter
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Printzen
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Peheim
mesh_terms: D015415:Biomarkers / Q000032:analysis; D009202:Cardiomyopathies / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003402:Creatine Kinase / Q000032:analysis*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007527:Isoenzymes; D008297:Male; D011184:Postoperative Period; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011300:Preoperative Care; D011379:Prognosis; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014336:Troponin / Q000032:analysis*; D020107:Troponin T
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D007527:Isoenzymes; D014336:Troponin; D020107:Troponin T; D003402:Creatine Kinase